Your air conditioner is an important part of your home- especially when summer is in full swing. Proper care and maintenance of your AC unit can help avoid the headache of it breaking down and costly repairs as well. Here are some maintenance tips for your air conditioning system.
Check Your Parts: Filters and coils collect dirt and dust over time. You need to make sure to change your filter regularly. Some filters can be reused after they are cleaner; others need to be replaced. The replacement schedule for your filters varies with how much dust you have in your home and whether or not you have pets. Changing your filter regularly will help increase the longevity of your coils, but over time, the coil will need to be replaced. You should also check your condensate drains by passing a stiff wire through the units drain channel. Your condensate drains reduce humidity, but will not work well if they are clogged.
Check your Seals: Make sure that any window units are properly sealed into the windows as weather and moisture my damage the seal. Also, make sure that your home is well insulated as you may be losing cool air in places like your basement and attic. Fall is a great time to check all of these as your AC will no longer be a necessity and you want to make sure your home is well insulated for the cooler months.
Go Seasonal: Cover or store your air conditioning units after the heat subsides. This will free up space if you have portable units, and will also protect your AC from gathering dust during the colder months. After all the dust gathered by your AC unit will come right back out into the air once you turn it back on during the summer.
